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University of Nebraska Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO School K-12 Service Learning 9-1994 Community Service in Arizona Schools: "A State- of-the-State" Report Linda Sadler Arizona State University Judith A. Vandegrift Arizona State University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/slcek12 Part of the Service Learning Commons Recommended Citation Sadler, Linda and Vandegrift, Judith A., "Community Service in Arizona Schools: "A State-of-the-State" Report" (1994). School K-12. Paper 47. http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/slcek12/47 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Service Learning at DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in School K-12 by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Na\ic:.:c.! lnlormoJion C0nter for s., :· 1 fco c2.rnlnc~ 18C~· Lt.:forcl 0 1 fkorn l ~.::.90 St. P.:.-:u!, 11"J ~~}·Jo3~Gl97 HJO "80fH:i RVE .~ COMMUNITY SERVICE IN ARIZONA SCHOOLS: A "State-of-the-State" Report Survey Results and Profiles of Community Service/Service Learning in Arizona Schools Prepared by Linda Sandler, M.P.A. and Judith A. Vandegrift, Ph.D. Research Analysts Morrison Institute for Public Policy School of Public Affairs NSLC c/o ETR Associates Arizona State University 4 Carbonero Way Scotts Valley, CA 95066 September 1994 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Volunteerism is not new, but the idea of volunteerism as part of one's formal education is receiving increased attention as a result of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. Under the auspices of these acts, a number of community service and service learning projects are being implemented in Arizona communities. To date, the Serve-America program has provided limited funding for community service/service learning programs intended for students in grades K-12. Administered by the Arizona Department of Education, Arizona's Serve­ America projects capture only a small portion of what students are doing in service to Arizona. This document is intended to expand knowledge about community service and service learning programs statewide'.' · Based on the results of screening 225 public school districts and 221 private schools, Morrison Institute researchers identified a number of individual schools presumed to offer b:, '-"' ,, ; ~- ,' '- '- "' ~ student volunteer experiences. These schools were contacted and 149 public and 20 private schools responded to this request for additional information. These 1 69 schools, comprising about 15 percent of Arizona's public/private school community, reportedly involve over 40,000 students each year in service to Arizona - working with other schools (from preschools to colleges), with the handicapped and disabled, the homeless, the elderly, and the abused. Students work to improve their school, religious, and neighborhood communities through public service. Whether through volunteer service only or volunteerism integrated into a formal educational program, students are studying economic, social, health, and environmental issues and learning to reflect on the significance of these issues for themselves, their families, and future generations. They are writing about their experiences, speaking about their experiences, and perhaps most importantly, learning to think about their experiences and to solve problems through coordinated community action. Some earn academic credit for their studies; others do not. Some are required to participate in a volunteer activity; others are not. There is a rich diversity of programs as illustrated by the 165 individual program profiles included in this document. In an era in which much attention is directed on child and adolescent problems - educational difficulties and dropping out, juvenile crime, general apathy, teen pregnancy - this report focuses on youth as assets by presenting the "state-of-the state" in terms of students serving Arizona. Morrison Institute for Public Policy TABLE OF CONTENTS Ex:ecutive Summary Lie>t of Figures iv Acknowledgements iv INTRODUCTION 1 PART 1: COMMUNITY SERVICE/SERVICE LEARNING SURVEY 3 PUBLIC SCHOOL RESULTS 4 Survey Respondents 4 Survey Results 4 Discussion 8 PRIVATE SCHOOL RESULTS 9 Survey Respondents 9 Survey Results 10 Discussion 12 CONCLUSIONS 13 PART II: COMMUNITY SERVICE/SERVICE LEARNING ACTIVITY PROFILES 15 VOLUNTEER SERVICE ONLY PROGRAMS 16 SERVICE LEARNING COURSE PROGRAMS 112 PROGRAMS INTEGRATING SERVICE LEARNING IN AN ACADEMIC CURRICULUM 131 INDEX SCHOOLS BY DISTRICT 181 DISTRICTS/SCHOOLS BY COUNTY 187 APPENDICES 195 APPENDIX A: Community Service/Service Learning Questionnaire APPENDIX B: Survey Methods APPENDIX C: Community Service/Service Activity Profile and Directions Morrison Institute for Public Policy iii liST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Public school community service/service learning programs by type (N = 177) 5 Figure 2. Private school community service/service learning programs by type (N = 20) 10 ACKNOWlEDGEMENTS At Morrison Institute, the authors would like to thank the entire front office staff - Sandy Bach, Beverly Sahd, Keely Berus, and Kira Parker - for hours of faxing and follow-up . related to various phases of data collection. Special thanks to Keely for inputting all the public school profiles. Linda Dickey's assistance throughout various phases of the project was indispensable. Special gratitude is extended to all of the public school superintendents and public and private school personnel who took the time to respond to requests for information. Obviously, this publication would not have been possible without their cooperation. iv Morrison Institute for Public Policy INTRODUCTION In FY 1992-93, Arizona received a grant under the auspices of the National and Colllmunity Service Act of 1990, Serve-America program, to fund local schools and cornmunity-based organizations for the purpose of implementing community service programs for students in grades kindergarten through twelve. Administered by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), 16 Arizona Serve America grantees received funding in early 1993; 15 grantees continued operating throughout 1994. Morrison Institute for Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, was awarded a contract by ADE to design and conduct a two-year external evaluation of the Arizona Serve­ America program. First and second year evaluation reports are available that document the results of these funded programs.' Prior to the second year (FY 1993-94), ADE personnel requested that Morrison Institute inventory student volunteer programs statewide. ADE administrators knew that many schools offer student opportunities for community service; they just weren't sure how many formal projects and programs were going on in the state. In order to assist ADE in their efforts to study and better promote community service and service learning in Arizona schools, one element of Morrison Institute's 1993-94 research agenda was to develop a "state-of-the-state" assessment of community service activities currently taking place in Arizona schools. This document is the result of that effort. The report consists of two parts. Part I documents the results of a survey that was developed to explore what Arizona schools are currently doing to engage students in meaningful and ongoing volunteer activities (Appendix A contains a copy of the survey). Conducted with both public and private schools across the state, the survey was designed to answer questions such as: • What kind of volunteer activities are being conducted in Arizona schools? • How many students are involved in community service programs annually, and in what grades? • What kinds of school-community partnerships are involved in implementing community service projects and programs? • Do schools award academic credit for community service? Part II profiles community service programs statewide. Three types of programs are included in the profiles: those that involve students in community service as an extracurricular activity; those in which community service projects are part of an academic curriculum; and those that teach classes in community service. 1 Sandier, L. and Vandegrift, J. (1993). Community Service & Service Learning in Arizona: 1993 Evaluation Report for Arizona's ServeRAmerica Program; and ( 1994). Students Serving Arizona: 1994 ServeRAmerica Evaluation Report. Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University, Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Mom$on Institute for Public Policy 1 PART I COMMUNITY SERVICE/SERVICE LEARNING SURVEY In early 1994, Morrison Institute researchers screened 225 public school districts and 221 private schools in search of community service or service learning programs (Appendix B discusses survey methods). In the literature, and as defined for participants, the following detinitions apply: Community service refers to student volunteerism in the community through school sanctioned activities. Either the school or a community-based agency may coordinate these activities, which can be curricular or extracurricular. Service learning refers specifically to instruction through which students learn and develop personal and interpersonal skills and are given structured time to think, talk, or write about their personal experiences in organized community service activities. Ultimately, 149 public schools and 20 private schools - about 15 percent of Arizona's public and private schools reported one or more programs which involve students in service to Arizona

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